Envelop-sealing device.



No. 666,|72. Patented lan. I5, I90I.

' je. M. wlLcox'.

ENVELOP SELINGDE/ ICB (Appication filed July 18, 1900.)

uw Mdem Edif j y UNITED STATES )EDWARD M. wiLooX, oF'oMAHA; n'nBnAsKA,Assieivois` o-F onn'fi-IALF 'ro FRANKYA, JONES,poi?SAMEeineng 4`SPECXFICA'LON forming part of Letters Patent Noi 666,172, dated January 15, 1901. Applies@ nea my 18,1900. stanti. 24,102. (no man;

u .To million/em it ntaLy concern: i y. Y

` Be it known that I, EDWARD M. WILCOX, a citizen of the United States,residing at `Oinaha, in the county of 'Douglas and `State of Nebraska,have invented a new and useful Envelop-Sealing Device, of which the,following is a specification. y My presentinvention relatesto a novelseal- .ing device, the objeetin view being to provide ro simple andefiioient means for j eeotually sealing mailing packets of variousdesoriptions,but more particularlyfor simultane-` ously 'moistening andsticking or sealing the gnrn'med flaps of envelope or similarfirst-class is mail-Packets i v One ob'eet of the invention, in asomewhat inerespeoiiio aspect, is to eonstruotA a device of'this'eharaoterwith a movable sealing ineinberarranged to present thegnmined iiap' of zo an envelop to.' a moistening device and tothereafter turn down the i'lap and seal it t'o'` the venvelop by thecontinued; movement of` the sealing member.

A still yfurther object of 2 5 .equip the devioe' with noveln1oiste'n`i`ng`n1e-ehy anisin designed to heautomatieally t-hrown inteor outof operative relation with'the sealing member forpresentation ltothe gn'mnied Hap or for retention out of thepath of movenient of theinenlberwhen 'the latter isreturned io its initial position.,4 Y l /Totheaoeoinplishmentof he objects stated "and others subordinate thereto,all 'as will hereinafter more fully appear, the invention -c`onsists inthe construe-tion `and arrangement `of parts to be more fullydesoribed,illustrated in the aooompanying'drawingsl and defined in. the appendedclairns". Y in said drawings, Figure lis aperspeotive 4.o view oi mydenier: complete, showing an envelop in position tobe sealed and thefinoisj telling-roller depressed intotiiejpath offthe Sealirigplate.Fig. is aside elevation of the subjeetn1atterof 'Fig. l Wththesealing-A` 4; plate elevatedto. present the sealing-Hap of the enveloptothe moislening-rollerand illnsj-v j l 'trating `in .dotted lilies' theelevated position of the rollo-rand thesealing position of the.sealing-plate, and YEig. 3 is a central longi`V 5o tndjnalseetion tixrough the moistening-roller.

' RQfnr'ri'ng the invention is to.

rear free edge oil 'the plate 3.

,plo'yeid to designate corresponding parts in theiseveral views, 1indicates abase, preferably metal, of any desired shape rsize, but

preferablysnpported by feet 2. and having 5 5 its upper surface out awayat the rear end of the basefor the accommodation of amovable sealing memberor hinged sealing-plate The plate 3 is hinged by hinges 4 to the rearedge of the envelop-supporting platen 5,`deined 6o by theraised frontportion of the base to-present the nppersurfaces of the plate and platenin the samel horizontal plane when the plate is depressed or turnedback, asshownin Fig.

1 of the drawings. j At thefront end of the 65 :platen is rnounted atransverse adjustable Vgageplate 6, against which the bottom edge of theenvelop to be sealed is designed. to rest, 'the adjustment of the gagebeing 'effected by any suitable moana-but preferably by set- 7 screws 7screwed into the base ,and passed through transverse slots 8 in theVplate. It

will now be-seen that when the gage-plate isV properly adjusted anenvelop 9 may he'aid lipon the platen 5K, with its sealing-*Hap 10 ex-75 tended upon the face of thesealing-plate 3, "whichflatter may beswung upon its hinge.

to the position indicated .injd'otted lines ill Fig. 2 to turn down thesealing-flap n pon the body of the envelop, the movement ofthe 8o platebeing facilitated `by a projecting handie 11 orothersnitableaetuatingmeans,y `Obviously, however, some provision nii-1st be made forrnoistening the` fiap ot the envelop, For the purpose of accomplishingVthe inoistelling of'the gum oy the aot of turning down the nap 1provide a moistenng-roller l2,ivhich is movably mounted in the4pathofthe sealing-plate 3, so that the `Hap 10 Will be presented tosaid roller and nioistened as it is 9o being turned. down -to the sealedposition through `the movement of the sealingpiate. `The monnting'of theroller lf2.- eoihpnises a swinging roller-frame composed of .a pair of,roller-supporting ,armsllfpieroed at vtheir llower ends bygtherollertrnnnions, 14 andV swingingfroni ahoi-izoitaliraines-npporting nar15,extending betireerrthe Lipper ends 0f al-pair of posts` or standards1G, upstanding from the reareornersof the base l beyondthe These side tothe numerals of reference ein-g arms' lf3 of: the rollarsnpportng frameare .preferably 'braoed by a transverse `4brace-her' 17, but 'this baris located et a sufeient distance frein-#lie reflet' to 'permit thelower free yield slifghtlywhen .it is ends ofsishe alimento' l d ejgred'to Withdraw the t'nnnions 1 4 for the ,.purpos'efof detachingfteigplleg;It Will-now willy be presented te' roller 12', which will traverse theplate as the roilersupportingfframe isswlmg l'pWardly v'ontinterferencefrom l :pressedpositions.

under thempulse of the sealing-plate. It is' thereforedesirabletoprovide simple means for retaining the roller in its'elevatedposi-v tion', as illustrated in dotted Ilineeinlig.4 2,'y

in orderthat the sealing-.plate may be turned down to Athe sealing itsfront edge with. -upper'and ylower rest-s 19 vter be swung back to yandi20, arranged to be engaged'by the ltranslverse: bar 17- of theroller-supporting,frame .toi-retain. the latter inits elevated and rie-The latchgbar 18 fis -add'if tionally provided imm ed iately above itslower pivoted end with a jection or cam-face 2l, designed to-beengagedby kthe-free. edgeof they Sealing-platone the' latterfisthrown back 'forthe purpose of `movroller comprises a' .zinganintegral end wall 23 ingthel'atche-bar l9to effect the; disengage-y mentof the` barl'? from "therest 19Yahd 'to permit ithei roller-supporting frame Ato gravi--:tatetolits initialpositiorniwhere it irs-'retained' by. the engagementof? the rest20 of the latch-l barwit'hthe baril? votlhe frame'. Inaddition: to the novel constructionreeited I have ValsoI devised ameisteningro1ler.V

whiohjI have found t-o be very effective". v The `-hollowi metal tube22, havingits--lwalls numero-nsly perforated and have extended -to formran annu1ar-flanger25i ,and providedf--with an` axial.4 trunnionclelnbThe -hollow tube isY designed -t'o beii'l'ledwith water,` as shown inf.absorbent .cylindrical casing O1 wic'k-sleevej 25, resti n-g-at one v-end against the danger- 24 .and -ooniined4 'upon' lthe perforated tubebythe. alnnnl'ar flange 26 ofa screw-cap 27,'vsorewed init'o the end ofthe' tu be122` opposite the 'end with an vaxial tru n nio'n,flfalined-@with -theother t-rnnnionI extendingfromfthe end; 23. I-npractice rthe roller isrlle'd with water, and theIsCreW-Cap 27,'havingbeenl sorewed't'o; placef lfor` the. purpose of closing' the tube'and,'retaining the absorbent lowerends of the bars 13 are sprun g slightly topermit tlMiinsertion of the roller-trunnions 14.

" the moistening-r Hof ythe 'Sealingforwardly-extending pro" `changes,modifications, jb'ecorn'prehended 'within the spirit the in- The'sealing 'member orpi-ate 3 is disposed flush with the envelop-receivingplaten fand oder-12 is retained a slight distance above gt-hesealingdiap bythe engagerfnent of the v bar 17 with thelowerrest 2O ofthe latch-bar. The paits are thus -positioned, as indioatedin Fig.- lofthe draws we are read y to begin the operation :ingaan-d, of moisteningand' sealing thetiap 10 of the envelop 9. y

.Assuming that the wick ofthe roller t0 be saturated bythe exu dation ofWater throughjthe perforated walls' of the tube 22,'the operator graspsthe hanabsorbent easing' or die 11 and swingsthejplate'to the positionindicated iindottedl lines i-n" Fig'. 2lof'the drawings.- This movementof'the sealingplate will -iirst vpresent-the gum med surface v'of t'heIsealing-depto the saturatedsnrfaoe of the fm'o'isienin g'-v roller,which flatter-,1 as' the movement of the plate'i's"eont-inued', willtra-vel'overthe'surface of the plate as the frollensupporting. f rame`is swung' upwardly.

fAsth-e roller has' 'beenelevated a suoient distanceto clear the upperedge of the plate YB'Jvirhenthe latterfis in its vertieal position'thebar 17 wil-libe opposed to the-upper rest -19 "ofi thevlatcgh;bar',' a'nd'said bar,will ydrop forward 'to eleot anengagementyvith the 1rollerg-iup'porting Vframe to ret-ain the *latterin the `positonjshovrrrby dotted lines fin Fig. 2'. Theseali'ng-platehaving nowpas'sed bef yond the lnroistenin'ig-I oller is turned* down'nponl lthe*platen and slight pressure'is applied for the "flap 10 tf'adherejto'the body 4of the envelop,

purpose vot' leausing the sealingafter-which the sealing-plate iss'wnn'gback to itsfinitial position, before reaching' which 1t "contacts `withIthe camgfacelof the latchfbar', swinging, the latter sn'iicien t'ly tocause its' disengagement from the'rollerfsupporting frame,vwhiohilattenwill then drop back' to its initial posi-tion," W-hereitissustained bythe engagement of the baril? 'withthe' lower rest 2O of theAlatch`balfora repetition ofthe op- 'eration'just'deserlied:l`v`

From the foregoi'ng'it willbe evident'that I have )invented la :si mpleand` etli'oient mois- TOD `teningand sealing'devio'e whichfwil'lfgreatlyfacilitate the fsealing ofi mailingpackets' and otherfg mined retainers;bn t'. While'`1 the einbodiment of the invention villnstrat'ed-and de-"scribedI is believed- Aat this tifrneft'o be'preferable,4 I wis-h' toreserve the right to: eiirect'snch andvar-ations' as may volition. I lf-'VhfatfI claim i's-.'

Ae'v movable sealing line-Buber arranged? tor fold :the f seali'ng's-apof .an 'envelbpj,of "al moiste'n'er l operatively-relatedto'the'fsealihg member and `movable over the iface'f' thereof;fduring'j'the .movement'ofsaid member.' f

f.; 2. Ina sealingdevice,theo'o'xn'binatioriivith a4 movable 'sealingmember, of a moistener movably suspended in the path of saidmem;

`the sealing-Hap of an envelop and a movable ber for presentation to thesealing-Hap of an envelop supported upon the sealing member.

3. In a sealing device, the oom bination with a movable sealing memberarranged to fold the sealing-flap of an envelop, of a -moistenerarranged for presentation to the face of the' sealing memberthrongh theI novementthereoi', and means for retaining the imiistener.out ofoperative relation with the sealing member during the retraction of thelatter.

L In a sealing device, the combination with a sealing member arranged tofold the Hap of an envelop, and a movable moistener arranged forpresentation' to the member during the movement thereof,v of means forretaining the moistener out of operative relation during the retractionof the sealing mem.- ber, and means for automatically restoring themoistener to its initial position for repetition of the'operation. l

5. In a sealingdeviee, the Combination with a movable sealing memberarranged to fold moist-ener dispos-ed in the path kof movement of tbesealing member, of means for retaining the moistener ont of operativerelation with the sealing member during the retraction of the latter,and means operated by the sealing member for restoring the moistenertoits inil a base arranged for the support of an envelop l. and a hingedsealingplate carried by the base,

' of a movable moistener disposed ig the path tial position.

(5. Ina sealing device, the combination with a movable sealing member, amoistener disposed in the path of' movement thereof, andA a swingingframe supporting'the moistener, of a latch having means to retain thelfram-e inposition to eeot the presentation of the moistener to thesealing member or to retain said 'moistener out of operative relationwith said member. f A

7. In a sealiugdevioe, the combination witha movable sealingr memberarranged to fold the sealing-flap of an envelop, of a moistener disposedin the path thereof,'and a latch-bar to retain the moistener in aposition removed from `the path of the sealing member, said: latch-barbeing disposed foraetuation by the 'i sealing: member.

8. In a sealing device, the combination with y member for presentationthereto, of a swinging framesupporting themoistener, a plvoted platch-bar arranged t0 retain the frame in an elevated position, andmeans Carried by the l latch-bar for effecting its aotuatiou through themovement of the sealing member.

9. In a sealing device, the combination with a movable sealing 'memberarranged to fold the flap of an envelop, of ,amoistener disposed in thepath of movement of said member, a swinging frame supporting` Said'moistener, a pivoted latch-bar provided with a plurality of restsdesigned to reeeive a por- -tion of the moistener-supporting frame, and

a projection extending from said latch-bar vinto the path ofthesealingmember.l

10; Inan envelop-sealingdevioe, the comfbination with a base arrangedfor the support of an envelop, ofra hinged sealing-.member constitutinga continuation of the supporting-surface of the base and designed 'to beswung to a position above the'base to fold `the iii-ap of an envelop,and a moistening de viee disposed for presentation to the ap through themovement of the sealing member. l I. In a sealing' devioe,thecombination with of the plate for presentation ther o as the latter isturned down upon the base.

12. In a sealing device,thecombinationwith a base, of a swingingsealing-plate mounted ing frame mounted above the base, and a moistenercarried by said frame and disposed in the path vof movement of thesealing-plate.

In testimony that I diaim the foregoing as,

l"npon the base, a swinging moistener-support-

